Pan Asia Metals reports exploration target for Bang I Tum prospect within Reung Kiet lithium project
Drilling is scheduled to begin in about two months at Bang I Tum to test the exploration target.
South East Asia-focused explorer and developer Pan Asia Metals (ASX: PAM) has reported an exploration target of between 8 million tonnes and 14Mt grading up to 0.8% lithium oxide at the Bang I Tum tin prospect.
The prospect is about 8 kilometres northeast of Pan Asia’s wholly-owned Reung Kiet project in southern Thailand.
The target was announced ahead of a drilling program, which is expected to commence at the prospect in September.
It is based on a geological interpretation of the mineralisation geometry, geochemistry and geology provided by surface soil and rock chip sampling, associated geological observations and the results from three drill holes reported in June.
The lower end of the target (8Mt) contains grades of 0.80% lithium oxide, 0.09% tin, 120 parts per million tantalum pentoxide, 0.30% rubidium, 250ppm caesium and 2.80% potassium.
The upper end (14Mt) grades 0.50% lithium oxide, 0.07% tin, 95ppm tantalum pentoxide, 0.24% rubidium, 210ppm caesium and 2.40% potassium.
Areas of potential
Pan Asia managing director Paul Lock said drilling would test the exploration target as well as areas not included in the estimate which have documented lepidolite pegmatites proximal to historic alluvial and eluvial tin mining.
“The fact that Bang I Tum is drill supported gives us a higher degree of confidence in the quantum of the exploration target,” he said.
“Our objective is to generate an ore reserve sufficient to meet our initial production target of 10,000t per annum lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) for a minimum 10 years.”
Mr Lock said the mineralisation will also be tested to evaluate the potential of its metallurgical performance.
Reung Kiet resource estimate
The exploration target comes almost one month after Pan Asia announced an inaugural resource estimate for the Reung Kiet project.
The estimate sits at 10.4Mt grading 0.44% lithium oxide, 0.04% tin, 0.009% tantalum pentoxide, 0.16% rubidium and 0.02% caesium.
It contains approximately 45,600t of lithium oxide (or 113,000t LCE) and is classified in the inferred category, at a lower cut-off grade of 0.25% lithium oxide.
Pan Asia said it was reasonable to expect that an average head grade of 0.45% lithium oxide could be achieved over the life of mine.
Weathering profiles
The resource estimate was based upon 46 diamond drill holes for a total 7,279.7mand was reported according to an oxide/transitional and a fresh rock weathering profile.
The oxide portion of the resource is composed of variably-weathered to totally oxidised rock with some minor fresh rock in the transitional zone.
The estimate for this profile is 3.2Mt at 0.49% lithium oxide, 0.03% tin, 0.009% tantalum pentoxide, 0.15% rubidium and 0.02% caesium.
The oxide zone at Reung Kiet extends from surface up to 70m vertically below surface and is chiefly composed of deeply-weathered to completely-oxidised siltstone and pegmatite, with increased levels of kaolin.
Pan Asia’s testwork to date suggests that lithium is recoverable to a lepidolite concentrate from these zones.
The fresh rock resource estimate is that part of the deposit which occurs below the base of the oxide zone and totals 7.2Mt at 0.42% lithium oxide, 0.04% tin, 0.009% tantalum pentoxide, 0.16% rubidium and 0.02% caesium.